Windows 8 Final: The Good, Bad And The Ugly

Microsoft just announced the release of Windows 8 and put the date at October 26th. So far, it’s already signed off copies of the system to manufacturers, so we’re expecting that they’re practically done with the entire operating system. Before they launch, it’s a best practice to have a look into the good, bad, and ugly side of the operating system before you think about getting yourself a clean copy or upgrade. In light of this, we’re going to lay out the pros and cons completely for you so you can decide whether you want this running on your computer.

Windows 8 Pros

Here are some of the things that we can look forward to in Windows 8:

The Metro Interface

OK, so there are a lot of people complaining about the Metro UI, and I also have a few grievances in that department, but we will get to that soon. All in all, there are a few positive things about it. First of all, I like the idea of having icons display useful information that I otherwise would have had to open the app for. In a traditional desktop environment, you have to open an app to see the information that it presents. Many, if not most, Metro apps allow you to see information related to them without even clicking a button. That’s quite a plus, honestly. Another positive thing about the Metro UI is the horizontal emphasis it has with scrolling. I like to read left-to-right, and this completely emphasizes that dire need.

Performance

Unlike with every other new release of Windows that required more and more resources, Windows 8 does a good job at keeping resource hunger to a minimum. It uses a lot less of my RAM, and so does Microsoft’s new Office 15. So far, so good!

The Task Manager

The new task manager within Win8 is much more user-friendly, provides more information, and has more transparency than the previous versions. You might recall having to search for some mystery process in the task manager to shut it off. Now, you get the full name of processes and how many network and disk resources they’re using, whereas the older task manager showed you only half the story along with a bunch of details no one wants to see.

It’s Less Glassy

I know this is arbitrary, but for me, the Aero system was wonderful. The only problem was that the title bars took up more space than necessary and I could do without all the glassy effects. Windows 8 removes this by adding another kind of desktop interface that has square corners, smaller space occupation, and more emphasis on performance rather than presentation.

Now that we’ve covered the pros, let’s cover what’s ugly.

Windows 8 Cons

Windows 8 presents a lot of wonderful new additions, but I think it’s our duty to also discuss things that makes everyone ponder on what Microsoft was thinking about. So, here are the cons so far:

Where Did Aero Flip Go?

Some keyboard manufacturers even made keyboards to implement Aero Flip. It’s gone now! This was one of the things I used to quickly switch between windows, and now that key along with my productivity have gone down the drain. One of the ways to reach Aero flip was through the “Win+Tab” keys. I had to press only one key, and the interface came up. My mouse had a second wheel for this also. It’s now useless in Windows 8.

The Metro Interface, Again

There are pros to it, but we can’t forget how much it looks like it was put together without much thought of the consequences. Metro has its downside. It looks like a busy street with all the icons plastered all over the interface. It’s also rather cheesy to have differently-sized tiles all over the place. It’s not Tetris. It’s my computer.

No Start Button

This one’s self-explanatory. I’d rather hit the Start menu without having to be forced to use the Metro interface. In fact, besides a Start menu, I’d also like the ability to start the computer on one interface or the other by default. It’s an annoying extra 4 seconds to have to look for the desktop icon and click it whenever I turn on the computer and want to open Chrome.

Powering Off Is Like Exploring a Maze

So, I was reviewing the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 here at Make Tech Easier, and when I was done, I wanted to shut down Windows. Guess what? If I click the new Start, I end up directed to a screen with no “shut down” option. After growing two new gray hairs, I finally found out that I have to go on the top right corner of the screen, stay there for like a second, click “Settings,” and shut off the computer from there. Those extra steps really make the whole thing seem like Microsoft doesn’t want me to shut down the computer.

Back to Windows 95?

Does the color scheme makes you feel that you are back to the Windows 95 era? You are not alone.

Conclusion?

I am not sure if I am going to incline either way. For the sake of neutrality, I’d say it’s up to you to decide. As for me, the pros outweigh the cons severely and I’d rather just upgrade and stick to what’s new, because that’s part of my job. If it’s not for you, there are obviously good reasons for that, and hopefully Microsoft can address what was written here in the “Cons” section. Some of them are kind of irritating, but as I said, the pros may well outweigh the cons. Leave your impressions in the comments section!

50 comments

This is interesting! I also like the aero in vista and 7. Too bad it isn’t there. I have seen videos for windows 8 and I think reading articles and watching videos from other people is a good idea before you start using it yourself for the first time. It would be easier and less frustrating for other people. For example, shutting down the computer was hard to find, but finding out about windows 8 would be so much easier once you find where it is ahead of time by reading or watching videos.

I tried the consumer preview of Windows 8 and honestly I think it is a huge mistake. Metro is a disaster. I don’t do social media stuff (yeah, no facebook, twitter, etc). And I do not trust “cloud computing”, so half if not most of the standard Metro stuff is irrelevant to me. Metro might be usable for a touch device, but for laptop and desktop, no way. And the layout and color scheme looks to have been designed by PlaySchool. One of Microsofts goals was to make things more intuitive, but NOT. I have been in the computer industry since the 80’s, and I could not figure out how to shut the thing down. Had to Google it. Intuitive, hah.

Perhaps Windows 8 will appeal to some people, but business will avoid it just as they avoided Vista. Its too bad, because I thought that Microsoft did a brilliant job with Seven. And it is not just Microsoft, I think Apple is making the same mistakes. I have two Macs (in addition to multiple Windows machines), and I am not making the change to Lion or Mountain Lion – I will stay with Snow Leopard.

Personally, I think that both Microsoft and Apple are missing the point. Instead of appealing as much as they can to the consumer, the companies are both engaging in battle between each other rather than serving the masses. This makes them get in a hurry to release stuff that doesn’t really appear even half-done. I totally agree with you on that.

As for your distrust of Cloud, it’s understandable. There are a couple of security issues associated. However, there are some Cloud services that use military-grade encryption and are much safer to use than traditional services. The Cloud industry should be standardized for the same compliance regulations large corporations have to hop through.

I think from Microsoft’s standpoint, any benefit to the end-user from Windows 8, is an accidental by-product of them benefiting themselves. They have a long history of trying force things down consumer throats without necessarily listening to their customer’s wishes/needs. Windows 8 definitely has some pluses, but also many minuses… particularly in a desktop/enterprise environment, where productivity is being emphasized. Social networking is definitely here, but to emphasize it in an office environment?

As far as cloud computing… well, it definitely offers a number of advantages, but also is a security nightmare with severe privacy issues. If the government wishes to examine your stored data (for whatever reason) – a warrant is rarely required nowadays. Of course, if you have nothing to hide… Not to mention, who has ever had online data lost and/or has lost their internet connection for an extended period of time? Inconvenience doesn’t begin to describe those headaches.

Although I’m a neutral person and don’t hate neither Microsoft or Apple, I think this is a perfect example of what Microsoft did wrong and Apple did right. I don’t think there’s a need to emphasize a tablet-like environment within a desktop computer. The desktop version of Windows 8 shouldn’t include Metro, since it’s superfluous. Some aspects could have been infused into the desktop into an application environment, not necessarily written into the operating system’s core.

Apple did it right in the sense that it separated the tablet from the iMac and the MacBook. These things are separate entities and Apple wouldn’t even ponder on the implementation of iOS features and apps within a MacBook.

Here’s ONE thing I think Microsoft did right, though: It allows you to use the apps you like on your tablet within your PC. But… Couldn’t it have implemented these things anyway within a desktop environment without having to force people to use it every time they start their computers? In theory, it sounds cool, but in practice, it could spell disaster. It’s a shame, too, because some other things about Windows 8 are amazing and very impressive.

Personally, I’m upgrading the operating system; not because I have to continue writing articles about Windows 8 in this site, but because I think the benefits definitely outweigh the nastiness of being forced to use Metro. What I mean by “forced” doesn’t imply that I don’t want to use Metro, but I certainly don’t want to have to use it every time I click “Start.”

Couldn’t Metro have easily been accessed from a traditional Start menu? I mean, if I were the one behind the project, I’d have the user click the Start button and see an “Enter Metro” button right below where “Control Panel” would be.

This would take care of people with slow computers that don’t want to bother with waiting for the computer to switch between two completely contrasting interfaces. It’s absurd and, I think, a move that clearly shows that Microsoft was in a hurry to try to trump the likes of its competition. It’s a clear example of putting your competitors first before your customers. That finishes off companies faster than not paying taxes.

Also, this is one of the reasons why I’m in the middle of writing an article here that will be published Monday. It’s called “Reclaim Your Start Menu In Windows 8 With One Of Three Applications.” If approved for publication under its current title, it will show you three apps that can give you that Windows 7 feel back.

I’ve tried to use Windows 8, reeeally… but quite apart from the issue of not being able to figure out how to shut the thing off (the start button does so much more than stop the OS), I do NOT have a tablet – I have a desktop computer. Windows 8 is designed to be used with a touch screen… and this is simply not the best interface for many typical users. Trying to come to terms with all the extra steps, and which corner of the screen to move the mouse to, whether to hold, to “drag”, or just sit for a few (interminably long) seconds hardly seems to be any sort of improvement to a simple click of the mouse – and far less intuitive! Good software should improve, that is, bring benefits to the users… perhaps microsoft needs to remember this? While Apple struggles with its own idea of how we should perform,,, Linux and Android appear to understand that what the end user wants is what is important – I have been very impressed with the panache of the latest iteration of Ubuntu

I’ve been using Windows 8 for a little over a month on one of my laptops. If you think of the metro interface as the start button that is open to begin, it makes more sense. Still, I would prefer to skip metro most of the time. There is still a lot to learn about Win 8. for example, to shut down you can hover your mouse at the lower right corner as well as the upper right. this is closer to the power button. I would like to see an option to default to the desktop, but that seems like a trivial bother to me, given the pluses mentioned in former posts.

I doubt that I will be changing from Win 7 anytime soon. I remember going from Vista to Win 7 — some programs worked, some didn’t. My biggest surpise was that my HP Laserjet with scanning capability didn’t have drivers to support the scanning feature, one of the more useful aspects of a multi-function printer. So ended up having to buy a new multi-function printer to be able to resume scanning. The printer cost more than the program. I won’t be making any move to Win 8 for fear of losing compatibility with the programs I use daily, from security, password, dictation, and others.

Windows 7’s applications all will work with Windows 8. The desktop environment hasn’t changed much. I don’t think you would have to worry about this aspect at all. I understand your fear, though. There were scary complications in the transition because Vista drivers generally, well, sucked. That’s not the case with Seven, and Windows 8 incorporates their structure with a couple of added APIs for HAL interaction with Metro. You’re going to be alright :)

well here’s one issue. I have a HP k109a printer with a Win7 driver that runs flawlessly on Windows 7. I’m currently running Windows 8 Consumer Preview on a VHD. I installed that same driver on the Windows 8 without a hitch but whenever I try to print anything, it just don’t work. I also can’t share the printer on the network, (the share button is missing). Windows shows that the printer is online but that’s it. Finally, out of frustration, I used a generic driver and the printer worked. I gave-up on Windows 8 after that. There’s just too much frustration. From the Metro UI down to shutting down. IMO, the cons outweigh the pros here (I really love WinFlip and now it’s gone?! that’s another nail to the Windows 8 coffin for me). I’m think i’m gonna skip Windows 8 for now and wait for Windows 9.

By the way, I’m a Graphic Artist by profession and I think its also interesting to note that my Genius G-Pen M712X Graphic Tablet and WACOM Bamboo Tablet drivers also installed without a problem. But using them was a disappointment. The pen moved too jerkily across the screen to get any job done and there weren’t any alternative generic driver that worked with my graphic tablets. I tried fiddling with the settings of both tablets to get the precision i wan’t but to no avail. I hope this is just a temporary problem with drivers not being compatible with Windows 8 and would be fixed when manufacturers have had the time to update their drivers but until then, I would be sticking with Windows 7. (To be fair, Windows 8 does feel snappier than Windows 7 but i think i can live with the performance ‘downgrade’ than live without my graphic tablets and printers)

I wouldn’t hop into installing drivers on a new OS yet. Companies have to first work out the kinks in their current drivers. But yeah, I’m sorry to hear all the issues you have. Hey, I think Seven is still a great option for those not wanting to move onto Eight. The problem is I don’t think Windows 9 is going to be much different. Microsoft is a stubborn company.

Excellent point; I have the same problem with Windows 7 on a networked HP printer that works on Win-XP, and my brother-in-law had the same problem with Vista. In both cases, vast amounts of time were wasted in vain attempts to solve the problem. So my wife has to come downstairs to print from my PC; brilliant, huh ? Just the kind of ease and simplicity that computers were meant to give us !

This is one of the key issues that people don’t think about when they buy a new PC for their home network; If you buy a new PC every couple of years, you will get a new version of Windows which could render your perfectly good printer/scanner/fax useless. I wonder how much perfectly good hardware gets added to landfills because people get bamboozled into jumping aboard the Microsoft marketing treadmill.

One of the very first things I do when I install an OS on my computer is change the wallpaper to something I can tolerate for extended periods. In Windows 8, the computer opens on an ugly screen that can’t be changed to look like anything better, although you can add or remove the tiles on it. You can get to a traditional desktop if you do certain things, and presumably you can set wallpaper on that, but the computer doesn’t stay on it, and you can’t set the computer to open on it.

Why couldn’t MS implement the metro tiles as a sidebar on the traditional desktop, with full control of which tiles are displayed? Was that too much to ask? What good is a computer if I can’t stand what it looks like when I turn it on?

I also agree about the shutdown/ restart being hidden. One of the things I hated most about Macs was that in earlier versions, the shutdown command was hidden in the menu and was not easy to find. Why would MS want to emulate that?

I’ve been using the Windows 8 Previews since they were released and although my first impressions were not positive, I kept an open mind. Now, I really like it. While the “cons” are legitimate, they can be gotten around in a snap. I’m strictly a desktop user and build computers for myself and other.

First thing I do with any new OS installation is customize it to my preferences. I did the same with Windows 8. LarryN, you are wrong in saying you can’t change the (formerly known as Metro) interface. I have mine grouped in categories with titles like Connect, Apps, Computer and Games. You can change the sizes of the tiles and turn the live tile option on and off. I agree that the default (formerly known as Metro) interface was butt ugly, but I quite like mine now. And to address Miguel’s thought that he has to switch to the desktop interface to use something like Chrome, that’s not quite right. I simply added a Chrome tile to the (formerly known as Metro) side. Actually, I have all three of my browsers represented on that side in addition to my Windows Live Mail. I use the screenshots a lot in my work assisting the elderly with their computer issues, so I have tiles for the Snipping Tool and Paint for quick access. If I were so inclined, I could stay on the (formerly known as Metro) side quite easily.

But, since I am NOT so inclined, I have a tile for the desktop or I can tap the Windows key. On the desktop side, I installed a third party app to restore my Start button. I tried to not need my Start button; I really did! But, sorry Microsoft, I’ve gotta have it! I’m looking forward to Miguel’s next article about this subject. This Start button application has a shut down option. But it’s still too many clicks for me – call me lazy, but 3 clicks is too many to simply shut down! So, in less than 30 seconds, I created a little shut down command that only takes one click. Then I also added it to the (formerly known as Metro) side as a tile in my Computer category.

So, just like every other OS, I’ve found Windows 8 to be very customizable with just a little effort. However, where I will draw the line is the latest report that the final release of Windows 8 forces you to boot into the (formerly known as Metro) interface. Maybe that’s what I want and maybe it isn’t. When choices are taken away from me, I get testy!

Yep, those are the problems. Sure, Metro is kind of ugly, but I care more about function than form, and it performs miles ahead of Windows 7. I don’t know how I’d feel about Metro after prolonged use, though. It’s like one of those antibiotics that can’t be used more than a week.

I tried win8 for a couple of weeks being an habitual test program downloader the inevitable happened I had a serious crash and the only fix was nuke and pave with clean install. after trying for 2 days to reinstall my genealogy programs I gave up went back to 7 . the problem I am convinced was either the cloud connection by way of live acct. or the disk I used did not preinstall the proper dll and or drivers as I also was never able to install my usb laser printer. my conclusion this all may be addressed with the final release or shortly after we will see. Thanks Bill

Ouch! It’s good that you say this, Bill. It’s necessary to also hear negative feedback from people who have tried the operating system and had a crash. I was kind of wondering if anyone had these kinds of issues.

I have gleaned information on customizing Windows 8 from a few sources, but the best one was Ed Bott’s article titled, “The Metro Hater’s Guide to Customizing Windows 8.” It was written for the Consumer Preview, but also works in the Release Preview.

Well, I just bought a new desktop a month or two ago, Win 7. I could have waited another year, the system I was using is five years old (Vista) and working fine, though occasionally I have some issues with it. I’m computer savvy enought to solve most problems. Initially, when I heard a new version of Windows was in the works I thought I’d probably wait for it, but the first day I saw the new Win 8 “start screen” if that’s what you call it, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I’m a senior citizen now, but I spend 6-10 hours just about every day on my computer, a DESKTOP! I have neither plans nor desire to change that. When I travel I use a laptop (as I’m doing right now), but it is no substitute for my home computer. I worked for a while as a computer tech, spent years in systems development, and built a lot of my own computers, until I realized the parts were costing me more than a custom build by someone else. I understand them I think. But Win 8 looks to me a lot like “FIXING SOMETHING THAT AIN’T BROKE!” I understand that MS needs to develop a spiffy new product to stay in the ball game with tablets, smart phones and such (neither of which I own or have enough desire for to pay the price of the wi-fi, let alone the hardware). But in the process they seem to have decided to send the desktop to the trash bin, perhaps hoping that no one will notice. Sorry MS, I have a message for you: I LOVE MY DESKTOP! And no postage stamp sized little screen is going to replace my 23 inch monitor! And I don’t want to have to peer through greasy fingerprint smudges to see it! My mouse pointer is the perfect tool. I want my start screen with my own personal picture on it, which I can change whenever I want, and the 30 or so icons on it. I don’t need “information relating to them,” I know what every one is and does. But the real bottom line is, I don’t want to re-learn everything about using a computer from scratch, after 16 years or more learning the skills I have now. Obviously, despite all the negative press Win 8 has gotten, at this point it’s going to happen. So I can only hope for one thing, that MS GOES BANKRUPT OR SO CLOSE TO IT THEY FINALLY REALIZE PEOPLE WON’T ROLL OVER AND PLAY DEAD! In the meantime, much as I have always despised Apple, I’m assuming the next computer I buy will be made by them, assuming they decide to continue making REAL computers along with all their toys. But just for insurance, much as it pains me to give MS another cent, I may buy another copy of Win 7 just in case I need to build another computer that I can actually use. OK, all the kids are probably laughing, I suspect the silent majority are shaking their heads in agreement.

I’m a “kid,” (24 years old and the writer of this article) and I agree with you for the most part. Microsoft was in a hurry to get this into market. I have a 23 and 24 inch monitor and am loving it. I think that the tablet and desktop versions of Windows should be developed separately. I have no idea why they were designed all in the same pot. It’s absolutely puzzling and I think that Microsoft will pay for it in the form of disappointment from desktop fans. What you say reflects a lot of what kids are also saying. You can still have a little hope in the younger generation, my friend :)

I’m also a senior citizen, specifically a Grandmother who will be eligible for Medicare next month! How the hell did THAT happen?! I’ve been retired from state government for 3 years and I’m on my computer several hours a day. If I’m not on my own computer, I volunteer my time working on computers for other senior citizens. My oldest is 89 years old and she loves the Windows 7 computer I built for her.

I also LOVE my desktop and when I’m using my Windows 8 OS, that’s pretty much where I stay. My grandkids know that Grandma gets really mad if they touch my beautiful 22″ ViewSonic monitor. There will never be fingerprints on mine either. But that doesn’t stop me from using Windows 8 on the desktop side in exactly the same way I use my Windows 7 OS. It look the same, works the same, feels the same… but the whole OS is faster than my Windows 7 (on the same hardware, by the way) by a very large factor.

Many people are resurrecting older laptops and desktops with Windows 8 because it is so light and fast, it makes these same computers which used to run XP run like spring chickens. I have an 88 year old woman who installed Windows 8 on a 5 year old Dell laptop and she is delighted with it. I helped her set it up so that she seldom uses the (formerly known as Metro) side, but she is comfortable with that now too and thoroughly enjoys many of the apps.

I agree that the jury is still out on how this release is going to shake out, but I think there’s at least a chance that it will do just fine.

And that’s exactly the advice I’m giving people – just stick with Windows 7 which many of them are just now getting comfortable with.

I don’t think this is a fix for something that’s broken, but rather a much needed move to keep up with the changes in technology which are moving faster than the speed of sound. I’ll never keep up with the youngsters – like Miguel :) – but I’m extremely interested in everything that some of the new technology has to offer. I just find it all really interesting…

By all means, stick with it. I know I will definitely be using the desktop part of Windows 8 a lot more. To me, Metro is kind of superfluous and a bit of a toy. I don’t necessarily like it a whole lot.

I used xp from 2003 for as long as I could, because it did everything that I wanted it to and also because I was alarmed by the horror stories about its replacement. I had previously stuck with Windows 98, skipping Millennium Edition, for exactly the same reasons. I eventually moved on from xp, because I bought a new pc, just as Win7 was being released, and the early reviews were favourable. Like xp, Win7 has done everything I need it to and there will have to be a good reason for me to change it.

I don’t have a smartphone or a tablet and don’t plan to buy either anytime soon. I also use dual monitors, which I read somewhere aren’t well catered for by Win8. Like others who have commented here, I don’t use social media (“sharing”, the way it has been implemented in the online world, fills me with horror) and I am another Cloud refusenik. That’s not just because of security or accessibility concerns; it’s because I have a 60GB monthly download limit and just uploading all my films and music to the cloud would consume my whole allowance for the next year. Far cheaper, safer and more convenient to carry around a couple of 1TB hard drives and have everything instantly available.

In fact, I am probably the last person MS had in mind when they went about designing Win 8, which is why I can confidently say it isn’t for me. Xp served me well for 6 years and I am confident that, by the time Win7 reaches the end of the road, either MS will have remembered that the customer is always right and produced something that I would want to buy or, if they haven’t, I’ll give Linux another try.

I am using Windows 8 Consumer Preview with a program called “Classic Shell” It is from: http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ It boots up Windows 8 into Desktop mode, gives you a “Start” button and looks and feels like Windows 7 or XP. Check it out, I think you will learn to like Windows 8 more with this software. It does wonders for Windows 7 too.

I also agree with Tom’s comments. Microsoft seem to have forgotten that many business users couldnt care less about social networking, facebook etc. They just want an ongoing reliable simple interface so that they can keep their business applications running smoothly on the latest (i.e. currently supported) version of Windows into the future. Sorry Microsoft but with 40 years experience in the software industry including minicomputers, I feel I am qualified to say the shutdown procedures in Windows 8 are a discrace.

The only pro’s I can see with Winfows 8 is the OS doesn’t eat up resources like it’s an 8 Dollar Buffet and I like the new Task Manager being more informative as to what is running.

Everything else is just alot of useless crap given it’s not really improving one ability to use, understand and navigate around the system. Companies are always trying so damn hard to make their product the latest and greatest with whiz bang this and that and that’s all well and good for those users that want that nonsense.

I still run Win XP Pro and love it and I only recently installed Windows 7 ( 2 years ago, dual boot systems) and after the learning curve of Windows 7, I like it and dislike certain things, but, I can deal with those issues.

Now comes Windows 8 and I don’t see anytime in the near future of bothering with installing it just for the the sake of upgrading for the sake of getting some features/ functions Microsoft jazzed up to tuned/tweaked for what it will cost. Not to mention the issue’s that will most likely come with program/hardware compatibility issues.

If Microsoft would focus more on making Windows 7 less a resource hog while upgrade feature’s/functions there adding to Windows 8, then I would be impressed that they trying to satisfy users of their products.

This is very similar to a tablet interface. I quite often put my tablet away just because of how annoying it is to navigate through. I like my drop down menus and my window sliding and my shortcuts and my background for that matter. It seems like this is really social driven, or media driven, and also seems like it’s going to be just like my phone. It’s going to suck up internet usage, and shove advertisements in my face on a device I paid for already. It almost feels like I’m being taken off the playground and put in the playpen, and being told what to see.

I will stick with Windows 7, myself, even if MS made it a FREE upgrade. I think Windows 8 is a tablet UI and should only be used for such devices. I see no reason MS can’t give Windows 8 a desktop interface option so we can still use the Windows 7 style of mouse “click” interface as opposed to the touch “drag” interface.

And seriously, that is the ugliest interface I’ve ever seen. It makes me feel like I’m back in 1993 with Windows 3.11.

Yeah, now that you mention it, it does kind of remind me of Windows 3.1, only with animated effects. I don’t know… It looks to be an interface that’s kind of “too busy” for my taste. Regardless, I’m not bothered by it enough not to upgrade. After all, one simple click takes me to the desktop.

I’m not a fan of windows 8 either. But I do have to comment on the “not being able to shutdown” issue that’s almost universal. The design idea is based on the premise that you are likely to have an acpi compliant pc by now, which allows you to simply push the power button on your pc and windows is informed that it is to shutdown. Most bios ware has had this feature enabled or available for more than a few years now. The people that have their pc’s enclosed and unreachable are the only ones left out in the cold by this design for the most part. Everyone else just had a paradigm shift shoved in their face.

I think every computer capable of running Windows 8 is ACPI compliant. The problem, though, is that some people – like me – have the box on another part of the room. In my case, I run dedicated servers for a number of websites and keep the servers in a cooler place. The workbench for the server is in the warmer area where it’s more comfortable to work. I hate having to move so much to turn it off or restart it. Well, the option is there, but it was kind of difficult to find. The other problem exists with those who run Win8 in one of many different virtualization environments. But, yet again, the option to shut down from the interface is there somewhere. It wasn’t so hard to find, but damn well much more annoying than clicking a Start button and just clicking “Shut Down” like I would do in Windows 7.

will use windows 8 if somehow CRAP metro UI can be removed. it’s a desktop operational system not a windows phone anyone knows if for corporate market at least like windows professional we’ll have a desktop operational system and not a TOY?

will use windows 8 if somehow metro UI can be removed. it’s a desktop operational system not a windows phone anyone knows if for corporate market at least like windows professional we’ll have a desktop operational system and not a TOY?

One thing I’ve noticed with the ‘Shut Down’ option is it doesn’t seem to actually be shutdown. On my system I always hit shutdown and when I next boot it I get no UEFI POST, just resuming from hibernation. In my copy of Windows 8 at least, shutdown seems to go to hibernate.

draclvr makes a good point about customizing the metro page. I have placed the desktop icon on top of the first column and made it larger than the others so it is easy to access when the metro page opens. I have pinned a few of my most frequently used programs to the taskbar as well as creating desktop shortcuts for others, i.e. Chrome, file explorer, and computer. I have also downloaded a number of applications directly to the hard drive’s program files folder negating the need to use Cloud apps to run these programs, I can still use Cloud if I choose to do so. I have not noticed that this slows start up in the least bit, the performance is just short of amazing! On the con side, Windows 8 does leave me with the feeling that it was rushed to the market and is geared towards the smart phone and tablet users more than to the desktop set. I believe, however, as more people migrate to it more programmers and software developers will transform it into as solid and user friendly a workhorse as Windows XP became.